Homes

Curb Appeal: Charcoal roof good cap for river valley retreat

Light fixture and vertically placed large address numbers are small details that make a big difference.

Photograph by: Suzanne Rowe
, The Gazette

An enchanting setting surrounds this week's family home. This small white dwelling sits on a private one-acre piece of land in a beautiful river valley and lives among mature maples, walnut, plum and cherry trees as well as proud standing white and red pines. The owner's favourite is a monumental Scotch pine.

He already renovated the interior of the house. Outside, he added new windows and a front door. The next step was to change the roof, the siding and obtain a desirable curb appeal.

A solid charcoal or twotone black and charcoal roof would be a wise choice. It is less harsh than all black and goes with everything from warm to cold tones. For the new siding, I propose a darker sand tint. If the actual surface is in good shape and the budget is tight, it could be painted in the same sandy colour with an exterior acrylic product in a matte finish.

The triangular shapes on both sides of the main building and the black panels underneath the two left windows will be the same shade also. For contrast and accent, new black shutters will be installed on most of the windows and an oxblood red door will have a slight sheen finish. A bold black light fixture and vertically placed bigger address numbers are small details that make a big difference.

An ample porch and overhang addition will undoubtedly be a useful addition and will visually maximize the size of the house. White thick square posts and a relief detail on the face of the smallest roof make the structure look strong and decorative at the same time. The garden shed ought to mimic the new home's colouring but its door should be black.

New beds around the foundation and the walkway should be defined either with neutral concrete blocks or treated smooth wood beams covered with opaque acrylic sand-coloured stain.

On the left side of the door, a chunky, bell-shaped black ceramic planter with drainage under the base will contain an exotic Fuchsia plant filled with red trumpet blooms and will tantalize an occasional hummingbird. In this design, I introduced fresh green and lime foliage like the Physocarpus Dart's Gold, the lime Heuchera perennials and the yellow green sweet potato cascading annuals. These are mixed with red and white flowers from some annuals in the flower box and the candles of the Polygonum Affine ground cover near the path. The Polygonum and the Heucheras requires rich and well drained soil as well as a divider between them. A line of red Spireas on the left will anchor the facade.

Amid all this vastness, I imagined a more intimate mini-oasis of calm situated in the small empty area near the porch - a cosy outdoor room where one could sit on a bench, take a few sips of fresh coffee, read the last pages of a captivating book or simply appreciate the view from that side of the house.

This floor space, enclosed by the new walkway and the border near the driveway, will be filled with pea gravel at the base and a thinner layer of soil on top. A soft carpet of moss-like yellow ground cover will surround levelled flagstones and will tickle any bare feet with its dots of white blossoms.

Three rocks of different sizes will snug up to the weeping Caragana. The biggest one will lie a bit on the back and left of the trunk. The other smaller stones will be closer together, one in front and the other on the right side of the tree. Three to five Hemerocallis Stella Ruby, with their red petals and yellow heart, will bloom for most of summer and their leaves will sway with the wind. These plants will need more soil around their roots.

An inky black deep flower box ought to be custom-made to fit the width of the last window on the right. Red and white annuals will be accompanied by bright yellow green sweet potato cascading leaves.

A peaceful secluded area, a breath-taking view, a comfortable warm home and clean simple landscaping design will make all this commuting to work worth it!

Vegetation (from left to right):

- Physocarpus Op. Dart's Gold (shrub, yellow)

- Spirea Jap. Dart's Red (shrubs, hedge foundation )

- Heuchera Lime Rickey (walkway)

- Polygonum Affine (peren-nials, red candles, walkway)

- Fuchsia Gartenmeister Bonstedt (annual, red, pot)

- Caragana Arborescens Pendula (ornamental tree, yellow)

- Arenaria Verna (moss, yel-low green, white, between stones)

- Hemerocallis stella Ruby (3 to 5 perennials, red+ yellow heart)

- Ipomoea Batatas (annual, yellow green, flower box)

HOUSEWARMING

Most homes can use a little help when it comes to warming up their curb appeal. If you'd like some inexpensive ideas on how to improve the appearance of your home, send a clear photo of your house with your commentary to: Suzanne Rowe, Designer, suro@bell.net. Because of the volume of email she receives, it is not possible for her to individually reply to each correspondent.

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